MatthewChapter 16

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Parallel texts2 parallels in this chapter

First Prediction of SufferingMML

Jesus predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection.

Matthew(du leser)

21From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."

23But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for your mind is not on the things of God, but on the things of men."

MarkMark 8:31–33

31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32He spoke about this quite openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33But Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter: "Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

LukeLuke 9:22

22"The Son of Man must suffer many things," he said, "and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

Peter's ConfessionMMLJ

"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Matthew(du leser)

13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15"But you," he said to them, "who do you say I am?"

16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

18And I tell you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

20Then he ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

MarkMark 8:27-30

27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"

28They answered, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."

29"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

30And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

LukeLuke 9:18–21

18Once, while he was praying alone and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

19They answered, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen."

20"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

21Jesus warned them sternly not to tell this to anyone.

JohnJohn 6:66–71

66Because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

67So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to leave too?"

68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

69and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God."

70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil."

71He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

He answered them, "In the evening you say, 'Fair weather, for the sky is red,'

and in the morning, 'Storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to read the face of the sky, but you cannot read the signs of the times.

An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring bread.

Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

They talked it over among themselves and said, "It's because we didn't bring any bread."

Aware of this, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you have no bread?

Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?

Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?

How can you fail to see that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But you," he said to them, "who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

And I tell you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Then he ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."

But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for your mind is not on the things of God, but on the things of men."

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life? Or what can anyone give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will repay each one according to what he has done.

Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Historical and Cultural Context for Matthew 16

Places

Caesarea Philippi (v. 13) was a city at the foot of Mount Hermon, about 40 kilometers north of the Sea of Galilee. The city was originally called Paneas, named after the Greek god Pan, who was worshipped in a cave near the city's cliffs. Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains of a large temple dedicated to Pan and a shrine for the imperial cult. Herod the Great's son Philip (the tetrarch) expanded the city and renamed it Caesarea Philippi in honor of Emperor Augustus and himself. The fact that Jesus asked about his identity precisely here—surrounded by pagan worship and imperial cult—gives Peter's confession a strong symbolic contrast.

People

Simon Peter plays a prominent role in this chapter. Jesus uses the Aramaic name "Barjona" (Βαριωνᾶ, v. 17), which means "son of Jonah." Some manuscripts and John 1:42 have "son of John." This patronym was common practice in Jewish naming. Peter's dual role in the chapter—from receiving blessing (vv. 17–19) to being rebuked as "Satan" (Σατανᾶ) and a "stumbling block" (σκάνδαλον, v. 23)—illustrates his complex character in the gospel tradition.

Events and Customs

The alliance of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 1) is remarkable because these groups were normally theological opponents. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection and oral tradition, while the Sadducees rejected both and were linked to the temple aristocracy. That they act together against Jesus shows how threatening they perceived his activity to be.

Leaven as a metaphor (vv. 6, 11–12) builds on Jewish tradition where leaven often symbolized moral or doctrinal corruption, especially known from Passover's requirement for unleavened bread. Jesus uses this image to warn against false teaching.

Key Terms

"Sign from heaven" (σημεῖον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ) in verse 1 refers to the demand for a cosmic miracle as proof of divine authority. Jesus rejects this and instead points to "the sign of Jonah" (τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ, v. 4), an allusion to the prophet Jonah's three days in the belly of the fish as a foreshadowing of Jesus' death and resurrection.

"Christos" (ὁ χριστός) in verse 16 is the Greek word for the Hebrew "Messiah" (the Anointed One). In Jewish expectation, the Messiah was primarily a political-military liberator from the line of David. Peter's confession was correct, but Jesus' immediate prediction of suffering (v. 21) shows that the understanding of the Messiah had to be redefined.

"Ecclesia" (ἐκκλησία) in verse 18 is the first time this word appears in the Gospels. In a Greek context, it denoted an assembly of citizens. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), it translated the Hebrew "qahal," which referred to Israel's assembly before God. Jesus thus uses a term with deep biblical resonance.

"Bind and loose" (δήσῃς/λύσῃς, v. 19) were technical terms in rabbinic language for declaring something forbidden or permitted, or for excluding and including someone from the community. This gave Peter teaching and judging authority in the future church.

"The gates of Hades" (πύλαι ᾅδου) in verse 18 refer to the ancient conception of the realm of the dead as a fortified city with gates. The expression also appears in Greek literature and in the Old Testament (Isa 38:10; Job 38:17).

"Take up his cross" (ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ) in verse 24 uses an image familiar to the listeners: those condemned to death often carried the crossbeam to the place of crucifixion. Jesus uses this as a metaphor for radical self-denial and willingness to follow him even if it costs one's life.

"Psyche" (ψυχή) in verses 25–26 can be translated both "life" and "soul." The wordplay in these verses concerns the fact that whoever clings to their earthly life will lose eternal life, while whoever gives up their life for Jesus' sake will find true life.

MatthewChapter 16

Chapter 16

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Matthew 16

Places

People

Events and Customs

Key Terms

Matthew

The Old Testament

The New Testament

Study aids